Date Night: Pasta Pomodoro
After having Sicily last year, Ben and I decided to set a goal to have a date night once a week. It doesn’t have to be something super fancy, but just one meal a week that we fully commit to each other without any distractions. Hiring a babysitter every week can be a bit of a challenge so we have recently been doing some date nights at home which can be just as fun! We cook a delicious meal together after putting Sicily to bed and get to enjoy each other’s company while having some one-on-one time. The key to date night in is making something that doesn’t take forever and has easy clean-up! Neither of us want to be doing dishes all night long. Last weekend for our date night at home we made Pasta Pomodoro. This one pot simple pasta dish is fresh, flavorful and ready in under 30 minutes. This is my kind of meal. The key to this dish is really good quality ingredients. Since there are only 7 ingredients, they all need to be really good. Colavita Extra Virgin Olive Oil has been my go-to for years because of its fruity flavor, smooth texture and low acidity content. You can tell a good olive oil by its smell, taste and appearance so make sure to always test it out before buying one! With good olive oil, canned tomatoes and fresh cheese, you cannot go wrong with this dish! I hope you make this pasta dish at your next date night in and get to enjoy some good quality time with a loved one. Enjoy!
This post is sponsored by Colavita
Pasta Pomodoro
- Prep Time: 5m
- Cook Time: 20m
- Total Time: 25m
- Serves: 4
Ingredients
- 3 tbsp. Colavita Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 1 lb spaghetti pasta
- 28 oz can Colavita whole peeled canned tomatoes
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/2 c parmesan, grated
- 1/2 c fresh mozzarella, diced small
- 1 c fresh basil
- Salt and pepper
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Season the water heavily with salt. When the water is boiling, add the spaghetti. Cook the pasta according to the package instructions.
- While the pasta is cooking, make the sauce.
- Heat a large Dutch oven over medium heat with 2 tablespoons Colavita Extra Virgin Olive Oil. Add the garlic to the pan and sauté for 1-2 minutes. You want to make sure not to burn the garlic.
- When the garlic is fragrant, and tender (after about 90 seconds) add the canned Colavita tomatoes to the pan. Cook the tomatoes with the garlicy oil over medium heat for about 8-10 minutes. Season the sauce with salt and pepper. Break up the tomatoes as they cook to form a slightly chunky sauce.
- Drain the cooked pasta, but make sure to save about ½ cup of the pasta water for later. Put the pasta directly into the tomato sauce. Top the pasta with the parmesan and 1 remaining tablespoon of oil then gently toss everything to combine.
- Off the heat, tear in the fresh basil and top with the mozzarella cubes. Give the pasta one last gentle toss to incorporate the basil and cheese into the pasta. The mozzarella with melt immediately. If the sauce is too thick, add a splash of pasta water.
- Taste the dish to adjust any necessary seasonings.
- Serve immediately with extra parmesan for garnish and red pepper flakes if you like a little heat! Enoy!
xx, Rachel
